Next Estate, Cingular Launch Cingular Prepaid Visa Card

"Next Estate is pioneering new payment solutions with wireless carriers and other service providers to help attract new customer segments by empowering consumers with more choices," said Mark Troughton, Chief Operating Officer for Next Estate Communications.  "The Cingular Prepaid Visa Card, powered by the Green Dot Financial Network, is a financial tool offered directly by Cingular that allows its customers who do not have a credit or debit card to enjoy more calling plan options."

No credit check or bank account is required to get the Cingular Prepaid Visa Card, thus allowing the provider to rapidly expand its customer base to include unbanked consumers and those with limited or no access to credit -- groups which have tended to be overlooked by providers because there has not been a payment mechanism in place to meet the unique needs of these consumers.

Cingular customers who choose the Go-Phone Pick Your Plan wireless account will be able to reload their Prepaid Visa card by purchasing a Green Dot MoneyPak(TM) Universal Reload, available at thousands of Green Dot Financial Network locations nationwide including: Rite Aid, CVS, Radio Shack, Walgreens, and many others.